Sabbatarian Missionaries Attacked by Pirates in Papua New Guinea Waters

A boat carrying members of the International Missionary Society Seventh-day Adventist Church Reform Movement was attacked by pirates in Papua New Guinea waters on April 18, 2017. The group, which included missionaries and at least one child, was en route to Ferguson Island off the southeast coast of PNG when the attack occurred. Two of the Sabbatarian church’s pastors were among those on board.

Radio New Zealand reported the incident on April 3, noting that the pirates stole the boat’s engine and most of the group’s possessions before leaving them to drift. The group managed to call for rescue using a mobile phone that had been left behind. Piracy remains a persistent threat in the region, with similar attacks reported in the past.

In 2011, a group of scientists and their crew were also attacked by pirates in the same waters. Their vessel was recovered, but the group was never found. The International Missionary Society Seventh-day Adventist Church Reform Movement, a Sabbatarian Adventist movement, was formed in 1925 after a split with the larger Seventh-day Adventist denomination.

The movement originated from members who had been disfellowshipped from the Seventh-day Adventist church for refusing to support the denomination’s stance on World War I. Adventist leaders in Germany and other European countries had encouraged members to participate in armed conflict on the Saturday Sabbath. Those who opposed this position were expelled from the denomination.

The split in 1925 marked the formation of the International Missionary Society Seventh-day Adventist Church Reform Movement, which was composed of these ousted members. The group’s formation was rooted in their commitment to maintaining their beliefs regarding the Sabbath and non-combatant status during wartime.

Source: Read the original report